Apple said to be considering a 14-inch MacBook Air for Asian markets
A new rumor suggests that Apple could develop a new 14-inch MacBook Air model specifically for the Asian PC market. DigiTimes reported that mass production of the 14-inch thin-and-light notebook may begin soon. Apple is said to be considering the 14-inch screen size for the notebook because it is a popular form factor unique to the region.
Apple currently sells MacBook Air in screen sizes of 11.6 inches and 13.3 inches. But in the Asia market 14-inch notebooks account for as much as 40 percent of sales that is why Apple is said to be considering a screen size specifically for that region.
Thinner MacBook Pro Models in 13-Inch and 15-Inch Sizes Coming in April
Sources in Apple's upstream supply chain indicated to DigiTimes that new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros with a thinner and lighter design are expected to launch in April "at the soonest," with an initial shipment of just under a million units. A redesigned version of the 17-inch MacBook Pro is apparently not expected at launch.
Apple's upgraded MacBook Pro lineup along with new MacBook Airs and the forthcoming OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Mac operating system upgrade are expected in the industry to pose a "significant threat" to notebooks. Moreover, earlier this week Intel indicated that the company's next-generation Ivy Bridge chips are expected to debut eight to 10 weeks later than previously planned.
Marvel Graphic Novels Comes To iBooks
Today Marvel Comics
The publisher said that with the release of its iconic stories on the free iOS e-book app the company moved into a bold new era in digital comic books. Marvel wrote on its website:
Apple Issues Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7
On Tuesday Apple sent out official invitations for the iPad 3 media event which indeed will be held next Wednesday, March 7, in San Francisco. In fact, the invitation itself could even be a picture of the new iPad display. The image does show a very crisp iPad screen that could be a higher resolution than the current iPad 2.
The March 7 event will be held at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Calif., the same place the last two iPad unveilings have been held. The invitation features a finger pushing down on an iOS calendar icon with March 7 as the date.
"We have something you really have to see. And touch," the invitation reads.
Apple rumored to be developing new audio format designed for iCloud streaming
Apple is reportedly working on a new audio file format for iCloud service. The new audio format will offer improved streaming and "high-definition" quality of music allowing users to access music they obtained from sources outside of iTunes over the iCloud service.
"A source with inside knowledge of the process says Apple has asked a London studio to prepare audio files for a new streaming format that will adapt to bandwidth or hardware capabilities," the report said. It quoted an unnamed person who said users' libraries would "improve in an instant," and nothing would need to be done to upgrade files from the current AAC format to high definition.
Apple introduces Developer ID
On Monday Apple sent out e-mails inviting developers to prepare their software for OS X Mountain Lion by joining the Developer ID program. The program will allow for apps to run on a Mac or iOS device that is protected by the Gatekeeper anti-malware system that requires that apps be certified through the Developer ID program to ensure seamless installation.
Gatekeeper is a new anti-malware feature that, according to Apple, will filter out malicious third-party applications and prevent OS X users from "unknowingly downloading and installing malicious software." To that end, the system implements a hierarchy of security that is based on digital certificates embedded in a software's code.
Rear Shell Of iPad 3 Measures In At 9,5 mm, Just 0,8 Thicker Than iPad 2
While comparison pictures of the rear shells of the iPad 3 and iPad 2 have shown that the new model has slightly increased thickness and some reports have noted that difference is about 1mm, no exact measurement had been made to quantify the exact dimensions of the new model.
Proview accuses Apple of fraud and unfair competition
On Monday Proview amended its California lawsuit against Apple over its use of the "iPad" trademark, accusing the company of multiple instances of fraud and unfair competition.
"The complaint provides evidence that the December 23, 2009 agreement that Proview Taiwan entered into was fraudulently induced by the concealment and suppression of material facts by Apple's agents, and that, as a result, the 2009 agreement is void," the press release states. "Once the agreement is voided for fraud, the iPad trademarks in the European Union, South Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam will revert back to Proview Taiwan."
Apple Wins Long-Term Protection from Ban on Sales of 3G-Enabled Devices in Germany
As far as you remember, in December Motorola win a preliminary injunction against Apple in Germany which has resulted in banning on sales of Apple’s 3G-enabled products such as the iPhone and cellular-capable iPad models in the country. But a few hours later after the ban granted on such products, the court temporarily suspended enforcement of the injunction.
And now FOSS Patents reports that the court has ruled that Motorola can not enforce the injunction for the duration of Apple's appeal in the case that could take as long as a year or more, therethrough Apple is no longer at risk of having its products removed from sale.
Rumors: iPad 3 will cost $70-80 more than iPad 2
Chinese microblogging site
iPad 3 will probably cost a bit more compared to iPad 2:
The headings are labled left to right: "Apple iPad Model", "iPad 2 US Price", "iPad 3 US Price", "iPad 3 RMB equivalent price". The final column is calculated on the exchange rate.
Apple is working two chips - enhanced A5 chip (A5X) and completely new A6
Apple is working on both an enhanced A5 (A5X) chip and a new A6 chip, according to 9to5Mac.
The site noticed that the original iPad's A4 chip was called S5L8930X, the iPad 2's A5 chip was called the S5L8940X, and the recently leaked A5X chip was labeled as S5L8945X. Going from the A4 to the A5 chip saw a jump of 10 in the labeling but going from the A5 to the A5X only had a jump of 5. Thus, the site surmised that the A6 should consequently be called the S5L8950X.
Now evidence of an S5L8950X (A6) chip has been found in the iOS 5.1 beta:
Apple Is Going To Remove Evi From App Store Due To Similarities With Siri
TechCrunch
Apple Posts New 'iCloud Harmony' Ad [Video]
Apple has posted a new ad entitled, 'iCloud Harmony'.
With iCloud, the stuff you love is everywhere you need it. Automatically.
Let's watch:
Apple rumored to be secretly shipping 'iPad 3' as Best Buy cuts iPad 2 by $50
Meijer, a regional big-box retailer in the U.S., slashed the price of the 16GB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi by $70, and Best Buy has begun offering $50 off every iPad 2 model. These facts could, however, suggest that Foxconn is already preparing to ship the device's third-generation successor to Apple in the United States.
The alleged secret shipments from Foxconn were revealed in a shipping manifest from Apple.pro revealed this weekend, which shows a series of shipments scheduled to begin delivery in the U.S. no later than March 9. The mystery orders arriving from Chengdu, China, are said to be under high security. A source from Foxconn's Chengdu plant reportedly indicated that the shipment is for "Apple's latest products."
Apple Readying Miniaturized Dock Connector for Future iPhones
Apple blog iMore has "heard" from unnamed sources that Apple is looking to replace the venerable 30-pin iPhone, iPad and iPod dock connector with a smaller, space-saving successor that will possibly make a debut in the company's next generation iPhone.
An updated “micro dock” could make room for bigger batteries, 4G radios, and other components far more important to the iPhone and iPad in a PC free world. As iMore points out, the current dock connector isn't huge, but as devices continue to get smaller and thinner, every little bit counts.